Warehouses, meat and fish

Two large warehouses have been assigned to the reign of Commodus. Both are located in the north-east part of Ostia, and both were used for the storage of grain, witness the presence of raised floors (suspensurae). Only a small part has so far been excavated of what has been called the Antonine Warehouse, but its outline shows that it was very large. The Great Warehouse was built during the reign of Claudius, but rebuilt extensively during the reign of Commodus: the rooms facing the central area were rebuilt, and at least one floor was added, witness staircases with travertine steps. The date has been established on the basis of brickstamps, but unfortunately the excavator, Guido Calza, did not specify them, so that a more accurate date cannot be given. In the Antonine Warehouse a feature can be observed that is characteristic for the masonry in the period of Commodus: a single red horizontal layer of bricks halfway up a wall of yellow bricks. Sometimes these bonding courses were only reddened by colouring matter. Their function is not clear.

Reconstruction of the north-east part of Ostia, seen from the south-east. In the centre is the Antonine warehouse,
with rooms around a large central courtyard. Bottom right are the nymphaeum on the Square of Victory and the Roman Gate.
Image: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

The size and location of the two warehouses is usually seen as evidence that they were fiscal horrea, that is, warehouses built with money from the Imperial private treasury. That would fit a general picture of increasing Imperial property, also by confiscation. The central meat market of Ostia and some fish shops were also built during the reign of Commodus. These buildings were most likely privately owned, but some friendly pressure exerted by the Imperial government may well lie behind this investment and euergetism. There has been some debate about the earlier and later phases of the Macellum, but it is clear that it was a meat market during the reign of Commodus, to which the main building phase has been assigned. It can be found on a major intersection to the west of the forum. It has a characteristic plan. In the centre of the courtyard is a basin surrounded by gutters. A few inscriptions inform us that standard weights and measures (pondera) were placed in the market.

The Macellum during the excavations in 1938, seen from the west.
Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

Reconstruction of the major intersection to the west of the forum, seen from the east.
To the left is the Macellum, the meat market, with its courtyard, to the right the House of the Harbour Mosaic, with fish shops.
Image: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

In the north porticus of the Macellum some fish shops were installed, the Shops of the Fishmongers. There are some marble fish-basins that were decorated with small columns, and black-and-white mosaics with fishes. Some secondary masonry of opus vittatum and the stylistic date of the mosaics point to a date in the third century, but in view of the function of the building it is not unreasonable to assume that there were fish shops here from the start. Fish shops were also installed in the building across the street, the House of the Harbour Mosaic. In shops behind a short portico are masonry and marble basins, and a mosaic with a depiction of the harbour of Portus and fishermen, some in small boats. The masonry of the building, with red bonding courses, is clearly from the reign of Commodus. The mosaic has been assigned to the third century. A third building with fish shops is the House of the Jealous One, to the east of the Forum Baths. A marble basin is surrounded by fishes and a fisherman in a little boat. The text INBIDIOSOS can be read, a reference to envy. The same theme is encountered in the Shops of the Fishmongers. Here the masonry has been assigned to the reign of Antoninus Pius, the mosaic again to the third century.

A fish shop in the House of the Harbour Mosaic. Note the red bonding courses.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.

The harbour mosaic in the house of the same name.
Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXI.